A newly rehabilitated 1.6-mile long, compacted-earth embankment dam for West Valley that is expected to protect thousands of residents from flooding has been officially dedicated.

The dam, officially known as White Tank Flood Retarding Structure No. 4, was a $40 million project. According to Maricopa County, 65 percent of the project was funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, with the county's Flood Control District funding the remainder. 

“Dam rehabilitation is a greater value, dollar for dollar, than other options,” Flood Control District Chief Engineer Bill Wiley said in a press release. “In this case, we were able to address all safety deficiencies and give the structure a new, 100-year life span.”

Officials with the town of Buckeye, which is home to the dam, says they plan to build public ball fields near the dam site. A library will be built outside of the flood pool.

“This is an area that could have as many as 50,000 people living downstream within the next two decades,” Maricopa's District 4 Supervisor Clint Hickman said in a statement. “We needed to make sure we had dependable flood protection for the growing number of families who call this home.”